Letter and record file and the like



y 23, 1933 P. E. BESENBERG ET! AL 1,910,516

LETTER AND RECORD FILE AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 8, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS ew/L -serrb'er7 y' Ham/d A/ewcombe A TTORNEY$ May 23, 1933. P. E. BESENBERG ET AL.

LETTER AND RECORD FILE AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 8, 1931 2 ATTORNEY.

Patented May 23, 1933 STATES PATENT OFEQE PAUL E. BESENBERG AND HAROLD J'. NEWCOMBE, OF SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA LETTER AND RECORD FILE AND THE LIKE Application filed October 8, 1931.

This invention relates to cabinets and more particularly to that class of file cabinets containing a follower for supporting the contents thereof in a vertical position.

One object of this invention is to have a follower which automatically adjusts itself to a new position when the contents are increased or decreased. Another object is a means for efiecting the automatic adjustment of the follower. Another object is to completely enclose the adjusting means within the cabinet. Another object is to construct the adjusting means in so compact a manner that V the capacity of the cabinet is not reduced.

Further objects will hereinafter appear:

Fig. l is a plan view of a cabinet containing one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section along A-A of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section along BB of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4: is a side View with fragmentary sections omitted to show details of construction; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the cabinet shown in Fig. 1.

The cabinet 1, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, comprises a base 30, sides 21 and ends 22. The base 30 consists of a bottom plate over which a pair of shields 2 and 2A are superimposed, shield 2A being omitted in Fig. 1 to show the constructional details beneath same. Also carried within the cabinet is a follower 6 which normally bears against the contents of the file. In the present invention the follower 6 would normally be in extreme forward position when empty, but it is shown as though contents were contained therein, the contents being omitted to permit an unobstructed view of the constructional details. Secured to the follower 6 by riveting or other suitable means are the sheet-metal carrier guides 5 and carrier slide or shoe 4, the former slidable in the slotted guideway 8 of shields 2 and 2A and the latter in the slotted guideway 19 between the adjacent edges of the shields 2 and 2A. The shields 2 and 2A are stamped to form the upper section of pairs of housings 18 and guideway 19, the lower sections of the housings and guideway being stamped integral with the bottom plate 20. The shields 2 and 2A may be secured to the Serial No. 567,622.

bottom plates or be detachable therefrom. The housings 18 enclose the tension members, which in this embodiment are shown as closely wound spiral springs 7 and 7A, rotatable about sheaves 8 and 8A. The sheaves 8 and 8A rotate on the pins 16 which are secured in vertical positions to the bottom plate and the shields 2 and 2A near the forward end of the cabinet their peripheries being in alignment with the circular housings 18 constituting an elongation thereof forming a U- bend. The springs 7 and 7A are secured at one end to the rear of cabinet and extend forward around the U-bend formed by the sheaves, reversing their run, and are secured at the other end to the follower guides 5 (Fig. 4). The follower guides 5 project into two of the housings 18through the slotted guideways 3 cut through shields 2 and 2A. Also stamped integral with the bottom plate is the follower slide guideway 19, the top of the guideway being reduced to a slotted area by the overlapping edges of the shields 2 and 2A. Slidable in guideway 19 is the follower slide or shoe 4: which. supports the follower 6 and is secured thereto by riveting or other suitable means.

The springs 7 and 7A are secured to the rear end of the cabinet through the ball and socket fitting 12 (Fig. 3), each spring being rigidly secured to a ball 13 carried in a socket 28. The fitting 12 is male threaded for lateral movement in a female thread cut in the rear of the cabinet and when screwed in either direction the fitting will move the ball fore and aft without twisting the spring. fi hen in the proper setting the fitting may be secured by the lock washer 11. The other end of each spring after being rove round a sheave is rigidly secured to one of the follower guides 5 in any suitable manner (Fig. 4;).

The springs 7and 7A are of such length that when the follower G is in its extreme forward position there is no tension. on the springs. As contents are added to the file the follower 6 is pushed backwards and simultaneously the tension of the springs is increased until the follower 6 is in the extreme rear position v at which point the length of the spring has been approximately doubled and the tension is at a maximum. As the load is decreased by removing the contents the follower 6 will be automatically drawn forward keeping the contents vertical at all times. The sheaves 8 and 8A in addition to forming a guide turn with the springs reducing the resistance to movement thereof to a minimum. Although springs have been used any suitable elastic medium could be substituted therefor.

The forward end of the spring shields 2 and 2A are cut away at 15 and 17 to allow the follower 6 to be lifted out of the cabinet when pushed to its extreme forward position but otherwise the entire adjusting mechanism is completely enclosed within the base of the cabinet permitting the full capacity of the cabinet to be utilized.

We claim:

1. A file cabinet comprising a casing having on the bottom thereof a longitudinal guideway of dovetail form a pair of spaced longitudinal circular housings on either side of said guideway and formed of mating sheet-metal parts, a follower having a slide member disposed in said guide way and guide members disposed in one of each pair of said circular housings, pulleys disposed at the front end with their periphcries in line with the circular housings, and an elongated elastic device disposed in each pair of circular housings and attached at one end to the rear of the cabinet and at the other end to a guide member.

2. The combination of the character set forth in claim 1 wherein the slide member is in the form of an elongated shoe and the rude members are formed of sheet-metal fingers projecting down through grooves in the circular housings.

3. A filing cabinet comprising a casing having on the bottom thereof a longitudinal guideway, a pair of spaced longitudinal circular housings on either side of said guideway and formed of mating sheet-metal parts, a follower having a slide member disposed in said guideway and guide members disposed in one of each pair of said circular housings, pulleys disposed at the front end with their peripheries in line with the circular housings and an elongated elastic device disposed in each pair of circular housings and attached at one end to the rear of the cabinet and at the other end to a guide member.

4. A file cabinet comprising a casing having on the bottom thereof a longitudinal guideway, a pair of spaced longitudinal circular housings on either side of said guideway, a follower having a slide member disposed in said guideway and guide members disposed in one of each pair of said circular housings, pulleys disposed at the front end with their peripheries in line with the circular housings, and an elongated elastic clevice disposed in each pair of circular housings and attached at one end to the rear of the cabinet and at the other end to a guide member.

5. In a cabinet of the class described the combination comprising a follower, resilient means for automatically adjusting the longitudinal position of the follower, said means being interconnected to the rear of cabinet and front of the follower and a member intermediate the connecting points of the resilient means for reversing the run thereof.

6. In a cabinet of the class described the combination comprising a follower, a guide and reversing pulley at the front end, and an elongated resilient member for automatically adjusting the longitudinal position of the follower, said resilient member being connected at one end to the cabinet and passing forwardly around said pulley and then rearwardly with the other end attached to the follower.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification.

PAUL E. BESENBERG. HAROLD J. NElVCOMBE. 

